Wondering about Love in Wonderland
by Southern-Dreamer-Babe
Summary: He's watched out for her throughout her life and, unknowingly, she's watched out for him. When she returns it won't be to fight the Jabberwocky or to paint the roses red. She's searching for something a little more abstract - but she can't do it alone. And when mysterious forces try to stop them from finding it? Well, there might have to be a little more action than anticipated.
1. Intro - Alice

Merely an intro. I'm curious to see if anyone would like me to write more before I do...

His fingers lightly glided down the mirror, making smudges against the cool, nearly perfect glass. To one passing by it would appear that he had been ensnared by his own reflection. Those who know him well, however, could see the distant look within his rapidly shifting eyes, focusing and refocusing as though he were looking through himself and into a new world entirely. And he was. Not many were "gifted" with Sight. He felt the mirror slowly heat, melt and bend around his fingertips, beckoning him inside. Small tendrils wound up his fingers and guided the unsuspecting man's hand forward centimeter by centimeter.

_Slowly_, the mirror thought. _It must be slowly._

Suddenly the mirror screeched and hissed, recoiling in agony from the man's fingers. The man jolted back, his eyes focusing back on the world around him. He drew a few shaky breaths and looked down at his trembling hands. He took a few moments to calm them before warily peering back up at the now solid – and quiet – piece of glass. His eyes widened and his face melted into a small smile that tugged one corner higher than the other. He confidently placed his hand against the glass, almost wishing it would once again call to him, though it remained silent. He dropped his forehead gently to the glass, listening to the voices quietly permeating through:

_"Daddy! But I saw him! The man! The man in the looking glass!"_

_ "Are we making up stories again, my angel? Come, back to bed."_

_ "He was tall! And he had a large ha…."_

The voices slowly dissipated to nothing and the man against the glass shook his head, smiling once more and giving a small chuckle. "Thank you again, Alice," he whispered.


	2. Chapter 1 - The Fiancé

I'm still not trying to post horribly long chapters because I'm still unsure if I want to continue...

Chapter 1 – The Fiancé

"Alice? Have you packed all your things?"

My eyes jolted open and I jumped away from the mirror, my face heating as I looked down at my lace covered hands. "Yes. I apologize; I was just, uh, remembering this place. As it once was," I stuttered. I looked up and surveyed the nearly empty room. _Is this all I have to show for my life_ I thought. _A few possessions packed into trunks, a bed and a mirror._

"Well then come on! This is not the appropriate time for remembering what once was; we cannot be late to meet your soon to be fiancé!" The housekeeper picked up my bags and proceeded to try and hustle me out of the room. I turned her head, hoping to give a parting glance to the mirror when I saw something flash across the surface. Not across…within.

"Wait –"

"We do not have time Miss Alice! Your mother is waiting, your soon-to-be fiancé is waiting, and you can't expect time to wait on you too!"

I would never see the mirror again.

XXX

"Oh Alice darling what _are_ you wearing," mother sighed as she watched me climb into the carriage, trying to be the most un-lady like creature ever.

I rolled her eyes. "Clothes, mother. I heard they're what all the royal ladies are wearing these days." I felt a sharp smack on the leg. "Ouch! What ever was that for!?"

Mother withdrew the fan back to her lap, a satisfied look in her eyes. "Please refrain from being smart with me or this will be an excruciatingly long ride. Pants, boots and a blouse are not the proper attire for meeting your fiancé, Alice. And what ever have you done to your hair to make it so wild and unruly looking."

I held up my hands to reveal the dainty lace gloves that adorned them, wiggling my fingers. I wouldn't even try to challenge the unruly hair comment. "At least I'm wearing the gloves you gave me." I quickly evaded another slash of mother's fan. "I don't even know him! Why should I dress up for him?"

Mother opened the fan and daintily began fanning herself. "I am sick, Alice. My dying wish is to see you get married and you will do anything to prevent that from happening."

I inwardly groaned. My mother had been "dying" for many, many years now. If she was truly sick it was only due to the stressed she caused herself obsessively trying to find her seventeen-year-old daughter a suitable husband. Or simply a suitor for that matter. She had exhausted all of her resources to find someone to take me away; it was well known that I was not quite housewife material and that only fueled my mother's search. Finally she found a man who would accept me, though he was an entire day's journey away and had never seen or spoken directly with me, only my mother. Who knows how she had embellished my demeanor.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and with the lull in conversation I turned my attention to the landscape outside the carriage window. I watched blades of cartoonish-ly green grass saunter by the carriage window and flowers shake their heads in pity for me. A white rabbet jumped by and pulled a pocket watch from behind his back, tapping it lightly. I felt myself sprouting wings; they agonizingly pushed through the skin on my back, ripping through my blouse and blossoming right before my mother's eyes. She shrieked and I burst through the carriage door like a wild animal trapped for too long. My wings spread open and stretched, feeling the sunlight warm them as they rustled. I shivered in delight. I leapt from the –

"Alice?"

I jolted in my seat and looked wildly at mother. "Hmm?"

She looked back at me, brow furrowed in mild concern. "You were screeching like some sort of maniac. Are you feeling alright?"

I shook my head, trying to clear the feeling of daze that still lingered through my thoughts. "Yes, I was just dreaming, I guess…the rabbit was there again."

My mother muttered something to herself that sounded like a reminder to have me psychologically evaluated_ again_ and shut her eyes to try and shut me out. I hardly blamed her. We left each other to our own thoughts for the remainder of the day's journey.

We arrived well past dinnertime and closer to midnight than my mother would have liked. Nonetheless she began to perk up like the model mother she was and sternly told me to do the same. At some point during our journey she had come to the realization that there was nothing to do about my clothing and that maybe a chipper attitude could persuade my new family to overlook my less than feminine appearance. I sat up in my seat and folded my hands in my lap. They began to sweat. The walls of the carriage closed in and no longer did the gloves feel feminine and dainty. The lace itched and I longed to remove them. In order to distract my mind I tried to make out the house in the distance. As we approached I realized it wasn't just a house. It was a _mansion_.

"What in the bloody –" I choked out, giving mother frantic looks as the carriage came to a stop.

"Manners, Alice." Another stern look.

The windows were dimly lit on the lower floor and the door opened to reveal black shadows of people. I shuddered as a chill swept through my bones. I had the most uncomfortable feeling. The carriage door opened, shattering what little illusion of personal space I had left from these people. My mother stepped out first and I after her. I still couldn't see more than the silhouette of four people in front of me but my discomfort grew. I shrank back to the carriage, the last shred of home that I had, as much as I could without being completely obvious.

"Welcome home, Miss Alice."


	3. Chapter 2 - Gardens and Halls

Stillllll not sure. I know where I'd like for this to go but I'm hesitant. Not sure if I like this chapter. Maybe you all will.

**Chapter 2 – Gardens and Halls with Mysteries Inside**

I had to try hard not to gag in protest against the word _home _and against the sickly warm, sticky air that clung to every pore on my body. I felt disgusting.

I must have taken too long to reply as I received a light nudge as my mother answered, "We're grateful for you to receive us at such a late hour and I most sincerely apologize for my daughter as the day's travel has been long." Mother chuckled and I could tell she was positively boiling underneath her cool demeanor. I wouldn't even be surprised if she mustered the strength to take a hand to my backside when we were finally alone.

My eyes had begun to adjust in the dim lighting and I began to make out faces. Three men, who all looked unfortunately similar, and one woman who stuck out for only the fact she was more than a head shorter than the man I presumed to be her husband. My assumptions proved correct as he stepped forward to introduce the family. He was Lord Oliver Ascot, his wife Lady Grace Ascot. My eyes caught upon the next male to be introduced. He had his father's height and strong jaw but none of the sternness. I felt a heat rush through me that had nothing to do with the air.

He spoke before his father could introduce him. "It's lovely to meet you Miss Alice. I'm Charles. My wife sends her regrets that she could not be here to welcome you when you first arrived but she's home with our newborn child. On that note I must be off for I have been away the entire day and she is no doubt missing my company." The adults laughed as if that were funny. The humor of his statement was lost on me.

I glared as he left, feeling betrayed by a woman and newborn that I had never met. Betrayed that I had not gotten to him first. Maybe my resentment was due to the fact that he shared the same name my father once called his own. I shook my head at the thoughts that ran through my mind. How foolish they were! I focused my attention back on the last to be introduced.

Oliver spoke again. "Finally, Alice, I would like you to meet my son, Hamish." I tilted my head and gaped at the last Ascot child openmouthed. How could two people, looking so very average, create someone looking like…I mean, compared to his brother…Hamish was utterly the most repulsive creature I had ever seen in my life. His nose was too big. His forehead was too big. I could barely tell anything with it being dark and all but those features stuck out like a sore thumb. I contemplated his likeliness to a thumb. Or a rat. I wasn't quite sure yet.

"Alice?" Another, less gentle nudge from my mother. "Introduce yourself to Hamish." In a less kind voice she whispered, "Close your mouth child you look like a fish out of water."

My nose wrinkled. "Excuse me, Hamitch is it? Hay-mitch?"

He seemed perturbed at my question and gave me a look as though he were questioning my competence. "Hamish. Hay-mish."

"Does it really make a difference what I call you, Hay-mess," I muttered to myself, smiling at my personal joke even though it wasn't that funny. We stood outside for an unmeasured amount of time, the silence and discomfort growing almost as thick as the air.

Oliver finally cleared his throat, saving us from more awkward silence. "Yes, well, as it has been previously stated it is quite late and I'm sure you are more than exhausted. The servants will help bring your bags to your room. One for the young lady and another for her mother." I thanked the heavens above that I would be staying in a room separate from mother.

I told mother I needed a few minutes alone outside to adjust to everything. She agreed only on the condition that I make it brief because the moisture saturated air was doing nothing to help my already lacking appearance. I growled a thank you to her and wandered a little ways from the house in hopes of…well I wasn't sure. I just needed to wander. I closed my eyes, remembering back to a time when my father was alive.

_"Do you see these dots, Alice?" Father pointed to small dashes along a worn out map. His beard tickled my face and I nodded eagerly, wanting to learn everything. "These are trade routes. They take you to far away lands where you meet strange people and even stranger animals." He tickled my sides and I laughed._

_"I want to see strange places with you one day," I whispered passionately. Mother would have a fit if she heard me speaking of such nonsense. _

_"Of course you will, my little wanderer. Of course you will."_

I sighed and decided that I'd been outside long enough. Any longer and mother might start to worry. It was as I turned back to the house that I heard a rustling in the bushes. I froze, wondering why I had found my way to the back of the house instead of the well-lit front. The dark had never agreed with me. I began to feel nauseous as the rustling continued. My flight response kicked in and I turned to run when the fiend in the bush revealed himself to be only a white rabbit. I let go of the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding and gave the rabbit a small smirk. "You sure gave me a scare mister rabbit. Isn't it a little late to be up?" The rabbit didn't respond for obvious reasons. It did, however, stand upon its hind legs and pull out a pocket watch, tapping it lightly before hopping back into the bush. I blinked a few times, putting a hand to my forehead. "Mad," I whispered, "Bonkers. Off my head…maybe it's the air." I rushed back inside and up to my room before I could find myself in more trouble I could handle.

XXX

_"Come back to me Alice." A floating hand surrounded in darkness stood before me. The finger beckoned me closer and despite the resounding 'NO!' from my gut I had to follow. I stepped towards the beckoning hand, reaching out. "Just one tiny touch, Alice…" I reached my hand forward, my fingertips inches away. In my head I knew it was the right thing. The thing I needed. If I could just brush my hand against the other one…_

_ "ALICE NO!" I was yanked away from the other hand. I screamed and whipped around, trying to fight off my attacker, the one pulling me away from what I craved. At that same moment the floating hand burst into a blinding ball of light, screeching louder than I was screaming. I felt immense pain tear through my head and I tried to cover my eyes, begging the pain to go away. As the light faded into something more manageable I was able to catch a glimpse of…well, my savior, before it all went black. _

I woke up panting. It was the same dream. Always the same dream when I went to bed at night. I sagged, putting my head in my hands and groaning. _If only I could remember what he looked like_ I thought. Since I was a child all I could remember of him was that he was tall with a large hat and lived in the looking glass. I raised my head. "People don't live in the looking glass, Alice," I said aloud, mocking mother.

"That's right. They don't." I looked to where the voice came, surprised to see that same woman standing in front of the open curtains. "You've overslept. It's nearly ten and we have to get you ready for the garden party and your official engagement at noon."

"Why so bitter sounding. I assumed you would be quite ecstatic today."

"Not when my daughter has managed to not only miss an appearance at breakfast but has overslept. I had hoped you were missing the morning meal with the entire family for a good reason, Alice."

"Since when are any of my reasons ever good enough for you, mother."

We stared angrily at each other for a few minutes, neither of us willing to budge. I got my temper and stubbornness from my mother, which was not always a good thing. At last she sighed. "It is your engagement day, Alice. Please try to be reasonable. One of the maid's has lain out your dress in the bathroom down the hall. Bathe and dress yourself as a proper, marriageable woman, please. For my sake." She left without another word, nearly slamming the door behind her. I groaned but got out of bed, determined to be as slow as possible with the bath no matter whom it made angry. If I were to be engaged it would be on my time schedule, not my mother's.

XXX

Fifteen minutes later and I still had not found the bathroom 'down the hall.' This home was not only enormous but ridiculously laid out; how did anyone manage to find their way around without the use of a map!? I spied a door I had yet to open on my own hall. "Oh please good lord above, let this be it," I muttered, jiggling the handle. It stuck a little so I turned it harder, determined to make it open whether it wanted to or not. After much jiggling and turning the door sprung open and as it swung the reveal what lay within, they sprung apart from each other.

"Oh. Um. Alice. This isn't, uh. You see Hattie's an old friend who works here. You won't mention this to my wife…will you?"

I looked from Charles to the maid, my eyes narrowing to slits. "I don't know. I'm confused. I need some time to think."

He began to get red and nervous, his eyes darting around. "Alice, now think of my wife. She would never trust me again. I have a newborn. You don't want to ruin our marriage, do you?"

I became more disgusted. "But I'm not the one who's sneaking around behind her back!" With that I stomped in, grabbing Hattie's hand and pulling her away from Charles. "If you would be so kind to escort me to the bathroom on this hallway." She looked down to the ground and began to lead me away towards the bathroom. When I was finally settled into the cooling water I had time to process what I'd witnessed. How could Charles do such a thing, especially when he had a new child? I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love for it only caused trouble. I didn't have much more time to think for at that moment my mother began banging on the door, screaming nonsense about how I'd been in the tub for far too long and I was going to prune. I slid down, letting the water rush over my head and into my ears, effectively muffling my mother's voice and allowing my mind to wander - and my fingers to prune - in peace.


End file.
